The Christian Citizen

It is surprising to me how many Christians acknowledge their responsibility to be the hands and feet of Jesus, yet shirk their duty to be His voice.  I am focusing this morning on our duty as citizens of a nation that allows its people to determine its direction through the electoral process.  There is no doubt that the political system of our once-great nation has degenerated over the last 50 years or so into little more than a shouting match, refereed by an increasing biased press and observed by an increasingly skeptical and uninformed electorate.  However, I believe that our nation and our system of government are a gift to us from God, a gift that brings with it a great responsibility.  Let me elaborate.  Our nation was established on biblical principles and served for almost 200 years as a banner to the world of what could happen when a people acknowledged God as their resource and guide.  When the Scriptures say, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord," all you had to do was look at the USA to see that it was true.  The liberties that our system of government granted us allowed for unheard of prosperity, but also, open doors for ministry to the lost, the oppressed, and the needy around the world.  It didn't take long for America to outpace Britain as the number one missionary sending nation in the world.  The testimony of our nation was clearly displayed on our currency, In God We Trust!
As we all know, the climate in America has changed drastically in our lifetime.  We are seeing the fulfillment of Isaiah 5:20, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"  With the ascendance of relativistic thought, anyone who would dare call anything a sin is characterized as an intolerant bigot.  The result is that many Christians have either been shouted down or discouraged into silence.  And now, with the spectre of Islam on the horizon, our lack of a spiritual backbone has robbed us of any moral high ground from which to defend our way of life, as exemplified by the fact that there is even a debate about allowing a mosque at Ground Zero.
I hear some of my Christian brothers saying, "That is all the world system.  As Christians, why should we even be concerned about it? Why should I lower myself to be involved in an obviously corrupt process?"
Well, let me give you my answer. First, God has called us to be watchmen on the wall.  Throughout the Bible, God's people had to stand up to wicked government officials and try to turn them to the right.  Moses, Nathan, Elijah, and many others in the Old Testament.  John, the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, and Paul, in the New Testament.  All confronted the wickedness of those who governed them in an attempt to turn their nation back to God.  We have been given the unique blessing of having a say in our nation's decisions.  To shirk our responsibility as citizens is to give tacet approval to the direction that we are going and to allow those who deny Christ a greater voice.
As your pastor, I won't step over the bounds and tell you who to vote for, but I will tell you that God will hold you accountable for being His voice in the affairs of your community and nation.  For those of you in Delaware County, you have an opportunity today to make a difference.  As a Christian who loves his God and his country, I would like to encourage you to cast your vote and let God's voice be heard.

Political Responsibility

Those of you who know me, know that I don't make a lot of public statements about politics.  I believe that the real hope for America is found in God's people being God's people and obeying the Great Commission.  This is not to say that political action is not necessary, it is.  It is just not the ultimate solution that many seem to think that it is.  That being said, I feel that, as your Pastor, I need to encourage you to take seriously your role in our political process.  Tomorrow, the Oklahoma primary elections will be held.  This is the first opportunity that we, as Christians and as Americans, have to respond to the direction that the present administration is leading our nation.  Often, such elections have very little impact on the moral fabric of our society.  With the gridlock of modern American politics and the present tone of political discourse, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between one party and another.  But this election, and I would venture to say, the next several elections, will have a great impact on our nation, because of the obvious and publicly stated intention of liberal politicians to take our country as far from it's Judeo-Christian, capitalistic, conservative roots as possible. This is really not an issue of political party.  Both parties have been a party to the moral and philosophical slide of the past several decades.  However, it is an issue of political philosophies and so today, I would ask you to fully consider the difference between the two.
In general, political conservatives stand for personal responsibility, personal initiative, and personal freedom, generally in conjunction with a strong sense of right and wrong that works toward rewards for achievement and consequences for wrong-doing.  Their weaknesses are that sometimes their emphasis on personal responsibility leads them to a lack of compassion, although, more often than not, they are much more generous and giving than their liberal counterparts.  They hold strong morality based positions on issues like abortion, drugs, crime prevention, gay marriage, etc.
Generally, political liberals take a stance based upon the assumption that there is no universally applicable standard of morals and ethics and therefore, to hold someone responsible for the negative impact of their lifestyle is arrogant and judgmental.  They believe that it is government's responsibility to cure the ills of society and that the best way to do this is through government control and the redistribution of resources.  They believe that the moral and ethical boundaries presented by religion in general, but Christianity in particular, are outdated and unnecessary in a pluralistic society.  As a result, they seek to legitimize a broad spectrum of behaviors that to conservatives are morally reprehensible.
The point to all of this is that Christians need to take these things into consideration when casting their votes.  We need to consider the philosophy held by each candidate that we vote for, regardless of political party.
If we truly believe that the freedoms, social and religious, that we have enjoyed for the last two hundred years are bestowed upon us by God, then we must naturally assume that they come with matching responsibilities.  And should we shirk those responsibilities, God would not be pleased.  So let me encourage you to do your homework.  Find out who the candidates are who hold to morally and philosophically conservative principles and then get out and vote for them.  You can begin by voting in tomorrow's Primary election.
P.S. If you think that it is inappropriate for me, as your Pastor to advise you on political matters, then it is likely that you have fallen victim to the liberal philosophy that would separate God from having a place in the public square.  Let me assure you, you won't be hearing me tell you who you should vote for.  But I will not be silent about the biblical principles that you should be considering when making your choices.  Those choices should always be made based on principles not party.
Don't forget, the Bible says, He that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.  It seems to me that God has called us to have an impact on this increasingly godless society, and one way to do that is to be conscientious citizens and fulfill our civic responsibilities.  So be sure to go to the polls tomorrow and vote based upon your principles, not your pocketbook or your party.